(Ottawa) The family of Christopher Raynsford held a quiet memorial Monday in his home town in western Ontario. Raynsford's badly decomposing body was found last week in his Ottawa apartment. An autopsy showed he had been beaten to death.
Family members gathered in the community church in Shallow Lake, near the family's home in Hepworth. His mother, Anne Raynsford, said that her son would not have wanted a funeral. Instead the family held a "service of celebration" of his life.
While parts of the memorial centered on the lighter aspects of Raynsford's life, his love of bubble baths, his distain for family Tupperware parties, one of the poignant moment came from his father, Peter.
"When Chris first entered the gay community he told his mother first, because he was worried about how I would react," said his father. "He underestimated my love."
Anne Raynsford said she did not wish to discuss the murder. Police in Ottawa are also saying little, except that "the investigation is continuing."
A forensics team is continuing to examine the 35 year old man's home computer. Raynsford used the computer to talk to other men in the online chat room at gay.com. What is still not clear is whether he made an online connection with his killer.
The liaison committee between police and members of Ottawa's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities met Monday night, and it was apparent that many feel Raynsford was targeted because of his sexuality.
"Our community is not secure," one man said. "It doesn't feel safe in its own neighborhood."
Police are searching for a suspect in both Ottawa and Montreal. The man is described as a white male in his 20s. Officers say they have a name for the suspect, but still refuse to identify him.
Det. Gerry Kinnear, the lead investigator in the case, told the meeting that although there was little he could reveal about the investigation, "hopefully within the next week, we'll be able to have better news."
©365Gay.com Ltd® 2002
'Witness' Now Considered Suspect In Gay
Killing
by
Ben Thompson
365Gay.com Newscenter in Ottawa
December 9, 2002
(Ottawa) Ottawa police now say a man wanted for questioning in the slaying of a gay Ottawa man is considered a suspect.
The decomposing body of 35 year old Christopher Raynsford was found in his downtown Ottawa apartment last week.
Friends of the victim said he often used the chatrooms at gay.com and a month ago was mugged and robbed by a man who he had met there. It is not known if the two incidents are linked.
Raynsford's computer has been taken to a police lab to recover information on who he may have been chatting with prior to his murder. Gay.com, based in San Francisco says it is cooperating with investigators. But, police are not revealing how they came to focus on the suspect.
Investigators say the man is blonde, in his mid 20s, and believed to be from Montreal. Police in both cities are searching for the man. However, police are holding back releasing the man's name and issuing his photograph and a composite description.
Detectives would not say why they decided to withhold the information.
They are also sharing information with police in Kingston, south of Ottawa) where the body of another gay man was found December 1. However, officers continue to believe there is no link to a rash of gay beatings and robberies this fall in Ottawa.
©365Gay.com Ltd® 2002
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